Who We Are
Transylvanian Saxons are Germanic people whose history can be traced back more than 875 years, when the King of Hungary invited the Saxons to make a new home in Transylvania. Here, they were active in forestry, agriculture, and building fortified churches. Consequences of the two World Wars resulted in Transylvania becoming a part of the country of Romania.
The Alliance of Transylvanian Saxons (ATS) is a Fraternal Benefit Society founded in the U.S. in 1902. Saxon immigrants joined together to provide financial security for their families, socialize, and enjoy their Saxon language and traditions.
ATS Membership comes through the purchase of a life insurance or annuity contract. The ATS offers all members a comprehensive life insurance and annuity savings program. The fraternal fellowship and cultural promotion provides many varied activities such as singing societies, Saxon folk dance groups, brass band, traveling bowling association, youth exchange programs, scholarships, children’s summer camp, and other youth and family sporting and cultural activities.
Each member is entitled to receive the Saxon News Volksblatt, the official publication of the Alliance of Transylvanian Saxons. It brings general news items about the activities of the national and local organizations and interesting articles about Saxon activities in Europe.
The ATS is a very stable and financially secured Fraternal Benefit Society. ATS insurance plans provide guaranteed protection at low premium rates. ATS annuity savings plans provide a safe way to prepare for retirement. The ATS annuity is qualified for funding a Traditional IRA or ROTH IRA under the IRS regulations.
We welcome new members of all nationalities to join our fraternal society and share in our cultural and social events as well as benefiting from our insurance and annuity plans!
What is a Fraternal Benefit Society?
Fraternal Benefit Societies have existed in the U.S. since the 19th century. Fraternal Benefit Societies are membership groups that unite individuals with a common bond and provide their membership the ability to secure their families financial security through life insurance and savings products such as annuities and IRAs.
All Fraternal Benefit Societies must comply with state and federal regulations with regard to their financial services and must be licensed by the insurance department of the state or states in which they operate. Fraternal Benefit Societies are recognized as a 501 (c) 8 not-for-profit fraternal organization by the IRS. They must operate under the lodge system which means that a parent organization has local branches that hold regular meetings at a designated place and adopt a representative form of governing.